Rebirth: Different Way [(重生) 殊途]

Chapter 72

Lu Gesen's childhood was a complete tragedy from the perspective of others.

As a young boy, he followed his single mother around the world, suffering many hardships. He met his father finally but before he could enjoy much father-son affection, his father died unexpectedly. With his father's death, happiness once again slipped away from his hands. He watched his father's family disintegrate overnight, leaving the huge Han family with only Shen Xi as an outsider.

The young Lu Gesen couldn't describe that feeling. If he had never known what happiness was like, the loss would not have been too painful, but his father had described to him a future that was too bright, a warm home, a family that loved him, a school where he could go, having fun like a normal child and not worrying that his mother would not have a job to provide for him. He carefully looked forward to this happiness in his heart, but instead of happiness, the sad news of his father's death came.

As his and his mother's lives were once again thrown into turmoil, Wang Changlin appeared in front of them as a rescuer. He arranged a place for them to live, he sent Lu Gesen to school, he cared for him and loved him as much as his father had. It was from Wang Changlin that Lu Gesen learnt about the past of the Han and Shen families and it was from Wang Changlin that he gained the courage to take revenge. Without Wang Changlin, he wouldn't know where he would be now, and even his so-called revenge might be nothing more than a joke in the eyes of the Shen family.

Shen Xi listened quietly to Lu Gesen's story, unwilling to admit that there was a hint of jealousy in his heart. Although Lu Gesen's past was poor and difficult, he was surrounded by his mother's unfailing care, and more importantly, Wang Changlin acted as a qualified father figure in his upbringing. Compared to his materially affluent but loveless past, he felt that Lu Gesen was much happier.

"Foster Father was in love with Aunt back then, and after she got married, he was disheartened and never married," Lu Gesen said with a sigh. Back then he accidentally found out that Wang Changlin actually liked Han Rou and was very angry in his heart. In his mind Han Rou was the murderer who caused the Han family to be destroyed, how could his foster father, whom he admired, like Han Rou? He went to Wang Changlin in anger, but saw the pain in Wang Changlin's eyes when he heard Han Rou's name, and all the words he wanted to say could no longer be said. Today, he could look further and understand that his aunt's life was no less than a tragedy, and the Shen family was to blame for everything.

Lu Gesen originally thought that Shen Xi would have a huge reaction, but he did not expect Shen Xi to just whisper, "I know that Lawyer Wang liked my mother."

"What? How do you know, Xiao Xi?" Lu Gesen was stunned, his expression surprised to the extreme.

Shen Xi smiled faintly, "I once met Lawyer Wang at the cemetery, he said so himself."

Lu Gesen was obviously astonished, "Foster Father didn't tell me about this, I didn't know..."

Shen Xi interrupted him, "I only heard it from Lawyer Wang when I accidentally met him."

Lu Gesen wondered what Shen Xi's impression of Wang Changlin was and said hesitantly, "Xiao Xi, Foster Father has very complicated feelings for you and he has never known how to face you."

Complicated feelings? Shen Xi looked at his mother's bright smiling face on the tombstone and a trace of self-deprecation flashed across his face very quickly.

After meeting Wang Changlin last time at the cemetery, he only regarded him as a stranger who had a crush on his mother. But today, from Lu Gesen's story, he realised that Wang Changlin remembered his grandfather's kindness back then and had secretly done so much after the Han family's downfall. The only one Wang Changlin forgot was him.